


Tangled Up in You

by sureimsherlock (missabigailhobbs)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, cirque du soleil au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-02
Packaged: 2018-01-03 05:15:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missabigailhobbs/pseuds/sureimsherlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this post (http://yuletidecas.tumblr.com/post/68585035498/destiel-cirque-du-soleil-au-when-cirque-du) by yuletidecas.<br/>When Cirque du Soleil’s top aerial silks artist Castiel Novak meets his new silks partner, the talented up-and-comer Dean Winchester, it’s dislike at first sight. The man is brash, rude and impatient, but he’s got skill at the silks. As the weeks of rehearsals wear on in preparation for their big debut, the intimately charged silks routine they develop surprises even Castiel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Castiel Novak dangled high in the web, his left ankle in the keep while his body stretched backwards, the velvety material of the silks wrapped around his wrist. He reached down and gripped the silk with his other hand, slipping his ankle free of the loop and letting himself swing in a lazy circle. Hand over hand he descended until his feet brushed the floor, and he dropped to the ground, shaking out his shoulders.

“Novak!” A sharp voice barked across the rehearsal space and he flinched, irritated at being disrupted. HIs partner, Anna Milton, had suffered a bad knee injury two weeks ago and ever since the manager, Gabriel, had been on edge and snappish. His rage seemed particularly directed at the silks performers, much to Castiel’s dismay. Hero to zero in one painful moment, it seemed.

He sighed and trotted across the floor, bare feet poking out of yoga pants, stomach exposed from under the hem of his t-shirt when he stretched his arms up. “You bellowed?” he drawled, coming to a stop in front of a very irritated Gabriel.

“Got you a new partner,” the manager snapped. “Name's Winchester. You've got a week. You can do the same routine you had with Anna or a different one, I don't care. Show me at dress rehearsal on Friday, and you'd better impress me, Novak.” He stalked off, presumably to micromanage the contortionists again. Castiel always thought the poor dears bent up in enough knots, and Gabriel should stop bothering them, but who was he to complain anymore.

Castiel turned and almost ran into a smirking boy who'd he'd have sworn wasn't out of high school with the most stunningly beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen glinting devilishly to match the curve of those sinfully plump lips. Castiel blinked, taking a half step back. “You must be Winchester. Got a first name?” he inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

“Dean,” the boy replied, chuckling. “Gabriel's a real laugh factory, isn't he? You’re Castiel, right? I saw you up in the web earlier. You look good.” He paused long enough for dramatic effect. “I'm better.”

Castiel snorted. “Right, sure, kid. If you're so good, then let's see you, huh? Up on the rope, Winchester. I want to see what my partner can do.” Dean just shook his head, shedding his leather jacket and flannel shirt, leaving his heavy boots in a heap off the side of the mat. He ascended the thick, velvety rope like he'd been doing it his whole life, and Castiel couldn't help but be impressed. Scrambling up that thing wasn't easy for someone so young, but nothing except being really really damn good excused cockiness like that. Dean wrapped his right leg around the rope and hooked his left ankle into the keep, letting the rope go and swinging around in a wide circle, back arched and arms out, like he was flying. He leaned all the way up, showing impressive strength to grab the top of the rope, slipped his foot out and hand-over-handed it down the rope. He ran in a circle for just a moment, jumping into the air, and Castiel smiled despite himself, remembering the feeling of the first time he'd started to fly on the silks like that. Dean performed for a few more minutes before sliding slowly to the ground, flushed and grinning. He trotted back over to the elder performer and put a hand on his hip, smirking. “So. Good enough to cut it with you, old man?' he asked, a playful spark in his eye.

Castiel growled, not so enamored with Dean just yet. “One, don't call me old. Two, you were good, but you're sure as hell not better than me. Three, I don't know if you can partner for shit. Don't overestimate yourself or you'll end up on the floor with a career-ending injury. I've seen it happen.” His face tightened, thinking of poor Anna, clutching her knee and sobbing in pain until the medics came, Castiel crouching at her side and trying to soothe her any way he could. “Alright, let's go up together. See what your partnering instincts are, yeah? Then we'll talk. Keep in mind that I've been here a lot longer than you have, Dean, running away and joining the circus. How old are you anyway?” he asked, crossing the floor to grab the rope himself.

“I'm eighteen,” Dean said casually. Probably lying, Castiel noted, but if Cirque du fucking Soleil accepted him, he either really was eighteen or he had really good fake documents, and it wasn't the responsibility of a lowly performer like himself to question it. “How old are you?” he asked, hoisting himself up and shimmying high up into the web, while Castiel cursed and followed after on his own rope.

“I'm twenty five, not that it matters,” he grumbled, starting up an easy swing. “Okay, let's see what you can do from here. I'm swinging, what would you do?” he quizzed. Dean just smirked and started to swing counterpoint to him, easy and slow like it cost him no effort at all. “This,” he deadpanned, humming a song Castiel didn't recognise to himself.

“Alright, what about this?” Castiel asked, getting a bit annoyed by the ease with which Dean seemed to wind among the ropes. He lifted himself up, hooking a foot into the keep, and arching backwards, his hands outstretched. Dean just watched him for a moment before mirroring his movements, grabbing his hands and spinning them around like they'd been partners forever. “This,” the younger performer murmured.

Castiel couldn't react for a second. It was awfully familiar of him, to just grab his hands like that, but... he couldn't deny the warm feeling in his chest at the sudden touch. “Alright, we’re done for now,” he muttered, dropping Dean's hands and slipping his foot free, spinning down the rope. Dean followed with exactly the same move just a moment later, eyes wide and cheeks a bit flushed.

“So,” they said simultaneously, and only Cas had the decency to blush. “I think we'll partner just fine, don't you, Cas?” Dean said jovially, chuckling. “You doing alright?”

Cas just shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I'm gonna go take a water break, yeah? You work on a couple of moves for our routine. We only have a week to get a whole piece together and Gabriel'll fire us both if it sucks.” He walked off, taking a long drink from his water bottle, watching Dean scramble back up into the web again. He sighed, still feeling the residual warmth from the young man's hands. There was something there, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet. The kid had potential, if he could get over himself. And he'd better do it fast, considering they only had a week to put together an all-new performance; it didn't feel right performing Anna's number without her. He watched Dean for a while, swinging and spinning like a natural on the silks, like gravity was a foreign concept to him. He sighed and shook his head. This kid was going to be the death of him.


	2. Chapter 2

Once Cas was feeling a little more collected, he jogged back over to where Dean was, quite frankly showing off, doing extremely ambitious flips back and forth, using two ropes and swinging dangerously between them. Castiel waited until Dean decided to grace him with his presence again, raising an eyebrow. “Be careful up there,” he said, fixing him with a cold stare. “If you get hurt, I lose my job because we’re not supposed to perform alone. Be. Fucking. Careful.”

Dean just rolled his eyes. “Right, whatever. I’ve got some ideas for what we should do for the routine. I watched you and Anna, back in Phoenix. You were amazing. But I want us to be better. I’m taller than her, so I should be able to reach farther, right? Look, if I bend like this-” he bent backwards to show him what he meant, holding the rope so as not to fall over, “and you were doing the same on yours, if we were holding the silk with our legs, we could get a great little spin going, you see?” He straightened up, grinning like a puppy who expected a treat and a pat on the head for being clever.

Castiel just shook his head. “Yeah, we can do the move, but one move does not a routine make. You have to consider music, lights, the fact that it all has to flow…” His tone hardened. “And don’t talk about Anna. She was an amazing performer and I’m sorry to have lost her. You will never replace her. Don’t start by thinking you can. I want to start with something that looks hard but actually isn’t, okay? You’re as green as they come and I can’t have another partner get hurt. People’ll start thinking I’m cursed or something.” He took hold of his silk. “Ready to try something? Just follow my lead.”

Dean smiled, wrapping the material around his wrist. “Sure thing, Cas. Lead the way.” With a nod they started to run in opposite directions to pick up speed, and in one fluid motion they were in the air, strong arms propelling them both high into the web. Castiel wrapped the silk quickly around his right leg and Dean, always quick on the draw, did the same. He leaned out and Dean grinned, letting his free arm fly out to catch Cas’s hand. Again there was that spark and Castiel flinched a bit. Dean’s brow furrowed in concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, unusually solicitous.

“I’m fine,” Cas was quick to assure him, shaking his head. “Want to try that move now?”

Dean grinned, eyes alight. “Of course,” he said, teeth flashing in the bright fluorescent light of the rehearsal space. In one simultaneous motion, like they’d been performing together for years, they stretched backwards and grabbed each others’ hands, feet hooked in the keep so they’d be secure. Dean smiled hugely, using the momentum they already had and his own strength to keep them spinning, Castiel holding tightly to his hands.

Something happened while they were dangling up twenty feet in the air, and both men felt it somewhere deep inside. Having to trust each other so completely like this was a vulnerable enough experience, but the perfect symmetry of their bodies, from the arch of their backs to the long lines of their arms and legs, stretched out like rays of light... that was something else entirely.

“Down,” Castiel gasped, and in a split second the connection was broken, both of them tumbling to earth in a controlled fall.

“You… um, you alright?” Dean asked, tentatively reaching out his hand, like he wanted to touch Castiel’s shoulder, ground him or something.

“Yes, of course, I’m fine,” Cas replied a bit too quickly, shaking his head as if to clear it. “The move was good. We’ll definitely do that. But it’s lunchtime now,” he said, gesturing at the mass exodus of performers shuffling out of the rehearsal hall, tugging on shoes and jackets over their yoga pants and tight shirts.

“Right, lunch,” Dean said distractedly, suddenly realising just how hungry he was. “Is there a cafeteria or something?”

“We get catering,” Castiel replied mildly, tugging on his sneakers and track jacket. Dean raised an eyebrow, looking impressed.

“So this is really the big time, huh?” he said, peering over his shoulder at Cas while he dressed in his jacket and boots again.

“Yeah, this is the big time,” Castiel laughed, stretching his shoulders. “It’s Cirque du Soleil, the biggest time there is for silks performers. I mean… I guess one of those Vegas shows or something but…” Castiel wrinkled his nose, knowing Dean would catch his meaning. “How’d you end up here anyway?” he asked, leading the way out of the hall while Gabriel glowered at them from a corner for taking too long.

“Like I said, I was in Phoenix with this small-time circus, saved up for months to see you guys perform, and as soon as the show was over I knew I had to do this. Found the manager after the show, showed him what I could do, and he agreed to give me a try. That was… little over two weeks ago. Now I’m here, performing with, well… you,” he said, gesturing at Cas.

Castiel raised an eyebrow. “With me? Why’d you say it like that? What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing, that’s just the thing!” Dean blurted out. “You’re a star! I’ve had posters of you on my wall for years!” He turned scarlet, realising how creepy that sounded. “I mean… I’m a big fan,” he added, muttering under his breath.

Castiel stopped, and burst out laughing, bending over at the waist from the absurdity of the situation. So all that fuss and bluster had just been because Dean had… a crush? That was probably the best news he’d heard all day.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Dean mumbled darkly, flipping up his collar like that would hide his blush.

“I’m not laughing at you,” Cas assured him around peals of laughter, tears of mirth pricking at his eyes. “Oh my god that’s the best thing I’ve heard… but seriously, you knew who I was and you liked me and you decided to act like a little brat? What was that about?”

“I’m not a little brat,” Dean replied sharply. “And I couldn’t… well, it wouldn’t have been cool to just come fawning over you, right? And, ugh… could you please keep this between us? Please?” He looked at Castiel and his eyes were wide, making him look so very young, vulnerable, and Cas understood. Dean was new to the biggest circus in the world, wanting to be taken seriously, so he’d adopted a bravado and swagger as a protective layer. Castiel had been in his place once, young and green and a bit afraid of all the older performers, who seemed to move through this insane world of constant shows and glitter and Big Names in every audience with ease, but he’d had the sense not to act high and mighty to make up for it.

Still, to each his own, and with that little mystery cleared up, Castiel felt much better about his prospects with Mr Dean Winchester. He slung an arm around the younger man’s shoulder, pleased when he didn’t pull away. “Let’s go grab a sandwich and work out what we want to do for this routine, huh?” he suggested, and Dean cracked a smile despite himself and nodded.

“Sounds good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Hope you enjoy the next chapter (which was actually written earlier but I've been dealing with AO3 being down too). As always, comments and kudos sustain me, and I hope you like it!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! I'm working on the second chapter as we speak. Remember that comments and kudos sustain me, and if you've got any suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them!


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